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Subaru B9 Tribeca (B9X)

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Comments

  • robr2robr2 Member Posts: 8,805
    Don't be suprised if most of those are repaired and sold. If the damage is minor, they'll repair them right there at the factory and ship them out. An insurer won't pay full value to SOA if the damage is confined to a bumper cover or broken light. And I highly doubt that SOA would take the hit on 1700 vehicles and just crush them for the sake of goodwill.

    Of course if it truly is totaled, that's another story.

    I don't know SOA's cost to manufacture but let's say $10K as an easy number - that translates out to a $17 million hit.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    We disagree there.

    An STi would be simply painful on DC's streets, loaded with pot holes.

    Forester has about the same footprint, despite being roomier. It has a very long travel suspension to absord those bumps and potholes. It has the best visibility of any Subaru, too.

    Most tolerant ride, easy to park, great visibility, higher view point, same nimble feel and short wheelbase, yet still practical.

    WRX wagon would do just fine as well. OB XT feels kinda big for city driving.

    -juice
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    OK, in that case I'd like to go on record and being the first to offer $10k on one of those damaged B9s. :D

    -juice
  • foxbat121foxbat121 Member Posts: 211
    Stock FXT is faster than 05 or older model stock WRX because of the different engine and transmission. WRX handles better than FXT for sure. For 06, both FXT and WRX receive the same 2.5T engine. So 06 WRX should be a better car overall but even I consider the new nose on 06 WRX ugly.
  • njswamplandsnjswamplands Member Posts: 1,760
  • njswamplandsnjswamplands Member Posts: 1,760
    I consider the new nose on 06 WRX ugly

    i want to comment so bad LOL :P
  • njswamplandsnjswamplands Member Posts: 1,760
    If you get an 05 then you'll lose a ton in resale value

    fitzmall has a few for around 22k so how much could i lose???
  • foxbat121foxbat121 Member Posts: 211
    Airbags and Seat belts in B9

    Hope the link works w/o need of login.
  • bat1161bat1161 Member Posts: 1,784
    I don't think you can really compare Tribeca vs. Forester as they are two different vehicles. I know in my comaprison between the Tribeca and the OB XT that there is a difference as well. As far as I am concerned it comes down to this:

    If you want comfort and the luxury feel, then get the Tribeca. If you want fun, in the sense of speed and feeling the road, then go for the OB XT or Forester XT. Although between the Forester XT and OB XT, I would say the OB is more comfortable for long rides.

    Don't forget that the Tribeca is intended to be a luxury vehicle, not a speed demon. Subaru is trying to move upmarket with it, and I fele they have taken a step ion the right direction. I do have to say that once the Tribeca gets going it has plenty of power - it's just the initial getting up to speed that is slow.

    It comes down to this: Drive what you like, not what others tell you!

    Just my .02
    Mark
  • b9driverb9driver Member Posts: 118
    Stock FXT is faster than 05 or older model stock WRX because of the different engine and transmission. WRX handles better than FXT for sure. For 06, both FXT and WRX receive the same 2.5T engine. So 06 WRX should be a better car overall but even I consider the new nose on 06 WRX ugly. >>>

    While the Forester XT is an okay car, I can't take it seriously as anything close to a sports car like the WRX. Handling is 90% of the car. The "old" WRX is much more fun to drive than any FXT. My father just bought the 06 FXT and it's a good car, but I wouldn't buy one.

    Robert B
    NY
  • chassolchassol Member Posts: 95
    Folks don't know if this is truth or BS, but you might want to look to see.

    http://www.dlo.com

    Best Regards to all - Loving the Tribeca
  • c_hunterc_hunter Member Posts: 4,487
    That will work on any FM radio, but the sound quality can range from poor to strong FM. I think a hardwired FM modulator is still a better bet. Neither are as good as a direct line-in.

    Craig
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I had one for 4 days, enough to get used to it, and then had to climb back in my Forester. As much as I like my Forester, love, actually, I'll admit there is simply no comparison. The Tribeca feels like it costs twice as much.

    It almost does, and rightly so. ;)

    Rumor has it Acura will lower the claimed HP for the 2006 MDX. As some of you know SAE closed a few loopholes and they can no longer use special oils and disconnect all the accessories, i.e. no more "cheating".

    Subaru apparently was not cheating as every engine makes the same or in some cases more HP than last year.

    -juice
  • njswamplandsnjswamplands Member Posts: 1,760
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I think it was 265hp. The rumor I heard has that re-stated as 253hp. That's pretty darn optimistic!

    -juice
  • mayberryguymayberryguy Member Posts: 145
    Their usual mode with damaged vehicles is to crush them. They don't want to risk tarnishing the B9 with repaired vehicles in the loop.
  • robr2robr2 Member Posts: 8,805
    So if all they had to do was replaced a headlight, they would crush the vehicle?

    All 1700 of them??
  • rctennis3811rctennis3811 Member Posts: 1,031
    It's that darn SAE rating. From what I've noticed, most vehicle HP/torque numbers are going down when converted.
  • x5killerx5killer Member Posts: 368
    All the talk of mpg so far I never said much but I have been getting much lower then any of these reports. Even on a recent trip that was mostly highway I didn't get much better then 15mpg though maybe around 16 not sure and that seems to be my avg though 15 as I do lower then when doing some heavy stop and go around town driving.

    My avg for life of the vehicle at over 1k miles is just above 15.
    and I reset the other trip each time i get guess to see what mpg i get for that tank.

    Granted I definately drive the B9 hard at times and do some heavy accel deep into the rpms but that is just driving style i'm used to and many times you need some short quick bursts of acceleration even around town.

    I sure do hope that the mpg gets better though at 2k and beyond because with the tank being smaller I am having to fill it up what seems like more often then I did with my pathfinder which I'm assuming had equal or worse gas mileage but just a bigger tank.
  • x5killerx5killer Member Posts: 368
    Sorry its not happening. Those are all old articles if you look at the dates. The most up to date info is that Saab is using a certain Pontiac platform for the 9-6x. I never said they weren't originally planning on using the B9 which is what all your articles are assuming.

    It wa a last minute change and they are no longer using the B9 Tribeca as the platform. Not because they didn't want to or it wasn't good enough but for some other trivial reasons having to do with m aking a diesel model or something for europe.

    If you haven't noticed I think of this as a good thing as the B9 will stay original and there wont be any Saab version for the Saab fan boys to say "yeah and its so much nicer looking then the Subaru version as it doesn't have that awful front end"

    just to update, it seems there is much confusion on teh Saab 9-6x. It seems to be have been on again off again a lot. Either way this may clear most of it up for now

    "Saab's 9-7x sport ute, built on the same platform as the chevrolet trailblazer, is set to go on sale this month. the body-on-frame mid-size 9-7x will be the only Saab SUV in showrooms for a couple of years until the swedish automaker's car-based unibody SUV, now dubbed the 9-5x, shows up in 2007. Some time back, word had it that the car-based sport ute would be called the 9-6x and would be based on Subaru's B9 Tribeca, but it seems the Japanese platform was dismissed because it would have required too many modifications to adapt a diesel engine necessary for Europe (the 9-7x will only be sold in the U.S.). Therefore, Saab will build the 9-5x on the GM Theta platform that underpins the Saturn Vue and Chevrolet Equinox and Pontiac's upcoming Torrent, due this fall.

    "A four-cylinder turbo diesel engine will come from Italian maker VM Motori for use in the Saab, Opel, and Vauxhall versions of the SUV, although plans for importing the diesel to the States seem unlikely. Don't be surprised if the 9-5x is built in a Daewoo plant in Korea".
  • c_hunterc_hunter Member Posts: 4,487
    Those diesel rumors are old news -- newer articles I have seen say that is no longer an issue. I wish I remembered where I read the latest update (it was late July), but as far I have been keeping track of this, the Saab 9-6X is once again a "go" and will be based on the Tribeca.

    Craig
  • jeffmcjeffmc Member Posts: 1,742
    Host Steve posted this back in June, which states 9-6X is back on track after talk of not producing it. Does anyone have a link to anything newer than this?

    http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/News/articleId=105934

    juice: it also says the interior will be the same and the H6 will be the same.
  • kmartinkmartin Member Posts: 427
    I have the TransPod. I've had it for nearly a year now. It's OK, but not great. Varies with FM reception, engine/electrical noise interference, etc.

    iPods and Subarus deserve better :-)

    -Karen in AZ-
  • robotb9robotb9 Member Posts: 82
    We just got back from a ~1600 mile trip to North Dakota (I call first Tribeca in Mohall, ND). Driving mostly freeway and 4-lane divided highway at 70-75mph, with driver, 2 passengers, and luggage, we got 22.5mpg on the way there, 22.8 on the way home. I haven't driven it around town enough to have a feel for what sort of city mileage I'll get.

    A few impressions from the trip: I'm getting used to using the side mirrors a lot to compensate for the not-so-good rearward visibility, and that helps quite a bit. I find the fuel and temperature gauges hard to read in daytime, especially when I'm wearing sunglasses. And I agree with an earlier poster that steering effort is a bit light at highway speeds. But that's about it for the negatives. It's very pleasant to drive for long distances. I have yet to hear a squeak or rattle in 2000 miles. The air conditioning (it's 5 passenger Limited) is adequate to keep front and rear seat passengers comfortable, even with temperatures in the high 90s. The seats are very comfortable. The reclining rear seat was much appreciated by my father-in-law. We love the puddle lights -- don't buy one without 'em.
  • b9driverb9driver Member Posts: 118
    The folks at Icon TV who installed my 3 screen DVD system put in a wireless transmitter that is 100% solid and driving through 3 states has deleivered great sound. I plan to use it for Sat. Radio as well. They, among others, are working on a harness that will allow proper direct connection. In the meantime, the system sounds great and never drifts. In PA there's a station on the same Frequency and the wireless is still never compromised. They claim it has three times the power of any competing system. It's so powerful that I can wear the wireless headphones and walk well away from the car and STILL hear the movie.
    In the end I will still want the direct connection because there's full frequency response.

    Robert B
    Blue 5 Pass. Limited
    NY
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I wouldn't blame the SAE, if Acura was using special oil and removing accessories then their numbers were just optimistic.

    I remember back in F1 that Ayrton Senna would qualify with just enough fuel to get across the finish line and run out. To meet weight restrictions he would even drive over gravel to add weight to meet the minimum weight requirements.

    More recently with turbo boost exceeding limits, though they figured out a way to fool the device that measures it to read a little low.

    They're pretty sneaky. Not that most race teams aren't.

    SAE caught them cheating, basically.

    -juice
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    They've been back and forth so many times, who knows?

    But yeah, after the diesel story we did hear reports that the Saabaru was back on track. They could change their minds again, but I believe SIA is preparing to build it.

    There are pros and cons. Surely the Subaru one would be more costly to produce. If they use the Pontiac Torrent (Equinox/Vue) platform they could build it for the cost of a Forester. But I don't think Saab should be making cars that cheap, literally.

    Mayberryguy - can you confirm that?

    robotb9: you gotta share your driving tips, that mileage is great! :)

    -juice
  • mstinsonmstinson Member Posts: 1
    There is a story from July 18th about the 9-6X crossover still being planned for.

    http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Features/articleId=106481

    "When will you publicly unveil the new 9-6X crossover based on the Subaru B9 Tribeca?
    Not determined yet. Right now, we've made some requests from the folks helping us with the 9-6 about making sure we have the proper differentiation and the things that will make it uniquely Saab.

    When is the earliest it could go on sale?
    Probably spring of '06 — the earliest. Any later than spring puts you into the '07 model year."
  • robr2robr2 Member Posts: 8,805
    I wouldn't blame the SAE, if Acura was using special oil and removing accessories then their numbers were just optimistic.

    Were they really cheating or just following rules that have been changed? How many other manufacturers did the same?
  • wvroadswvroads Member Posts: 23
    We have had our B9 for just a little over a month now and have 2600 miles on it. We normally don't drive that much per month but with a few extra trips and the fact that it is so much fun to drive we have been in it alot.

    So far we have averaged 22.8 mpg since we got it. My wife drives it to work each day on a rural county road - about 28 miles round trip.

    We just came back from a trip to visit my sister in Buffalo, NY and we got 23.4 on the way up and 23.1 on the way back. Mileage around town in Buffalo was about 20.5. This was with AC on most of the time and cruising around 70 mph.
    The total milage each way was 340 with the portion of it near home here in WV/Western MD being rural and hilly/mountainous until hitting the PA turnpike at Somerset and from then on all interstate.

    Thats my MPG report for now.

    PS: I do tend to drive with a lighter foot now in order to keep the numbers looking better - much like when I was a kid and didn't have much gas money and had one of those vacuum gauges on my car that showed "poor mileage" when you were pulling the vacuum down. NOT a bad idea now with the price of gas what it is.
  • subienewbie2subienewbie2 Member Posts: 458
    But I don't think Saab should be making cars that cheap, literally.

    Isn't the 9-7 already based on a cheaper GM model that is inferior to Saab vehicles. I understand that the engine is a GM not Saab.

    If that is true I feel sorry for those who shelled out big bucks thinking they are getting a real Saab only to find out that it is a GMC in drag.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Well, if Acura's numbers went down, and others didn't (some even went up), at a minimum Acura knew how to make it's numbers look good.

    I seriously doubt it was unintentional. Both engines in the Accord actually went up, though Honda claims it's new tuning and throttle-by-wire that explains the change.

    Perhaps they lowered Honda numbers and raised Acura numbers to differentiate the two brands, even?

    Though Ford's done worse, the Mustang went from 225 hp to 205hp. Some Cobras had to be recalled, even. Mazda has also had trouble before with the Miata in '00 and the RX-8 more recently.

    -juice
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    The 9-7x sort of replace the Oldsmobile version of the Blazer in my mind.

    -juice
  • photoguy2photoguy2 Member Posts: 164
    I've got 5,000 miles on mine. Just went on a road trip yesterday. 23.6 MPG over a 70 stretch of highway from PA to MD. 65-70 MPH. As I then went into the city I was making sales calls to and then came home the end result of a 300 mile day was 21.6 MPG. Overall since purchase I'm averaging 19.8 MPG. Granted about 3000 of the 5000 are highway miles...
  • photoguy2photoguy2 Member Posts: 164
    I sat in one for about 10 seconds and was so embarrased I had to get out. I've owned 3 Saab's and loved them. The 9-7 is an embarrasment.
  • foxbat121foxbat121 Member Posts: 211
    GM basically destory the SAAB brand. Instead of investing R&D for new SAABs, GM went with rebagging road. From what I saw in a Saabaru 9-2x, all GM wanted to do is spend minimum amount of money on rebagging effort. That is no major changes (cost $$$ on production line). Only small changes here and there. Interesting enough the new 06 WRX center console seems to use the same exact components used in 9-2x which is basically a new face plat plus different knobs for AC control.
  • c_hunterc_hunter Member Posts: 4,487
    Believe it or not, that interior rolled out with the 05 WRX, and it was extremely similar to the interior already on the 03+ Forester. So there's even less to the Saab.....
  • foxbat121foxbat121 Member Posts: 211
    Didn't know that. So basically what GM did is pay for a badge to be sticked on the car and select a few items from STi parts bin :)
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I bet you'll break the 20mpg barrier soon. Mileage should improve with age.

    Actually, the 2005 WRX got that 9-2x interior. It's just that the Saab came out a little earlier and it took all the credit.

    But look back even further, and the interior really debuted in the 2003 Forester!

    (craig beat me to it)

    -juice
  • c_hunterc_hunter Member Posts: 4,487
    Saab offered option packages that Subaru did not let us have in the US, like moonroof on the wagon, leather seats, etc... Unfortunately, now you can get that stuff on the 06 WRX!

    Craig
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Though you could get some of that stuff in Canada.

    It was just strange. GM limits what Subaru can do when they sell mere clones.

    -juice
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    The 9-7 is an embarrassment.

    What's really embarrassing are the crash test results.

    mistermark, "Saab 9-7X" #272, 26 Jul 2005 1:54 pm

    Steve, Host
  • robotb9robotb9 Member Posts: 82
    As you might expect, mileage declines rapidly at speeds above 70 MPH. We canna change the laws o' physics. So cruising at 65-70 MPH ought to put you close to the EPA highway estimate of 23 MPG. That checks out with my 22-23 MPG on the NoDak trip at 70-75 MPH, and the 25.6 MPG I got on the engine breakin run to Duluth where I rarely went over 65 MPH. Not too bad considering the size of the vehicle. I think the prominent MPG display on the dash acts as an incentive to drive economically.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    That would be embarassing for Kia, never mind Saab.

    robotb9: I felt the same way. The feedback helps you drive more smoothly and economically, if you choose to at least.

    -juice
  • mayberryguymayberryguy Member Posts: 145
    Tribeca version Saabaru deemed "01G" is a go, as of this very moment. It will launch sometime in '07 as an '08 model. I'm cautiously optimistic that Saab can stay afloat that long. Time will tell.............
  • alextrifalextrif Member Posts: 7
    About in the same boat here. Got my Tribeca on 7/1 and I now have 2700 miles on it. Took a long road trip from Seattle to Klamath Falls, OR. last week. On a portion of Hwy 97 in Oregon, I got 28mpg for 75 miles doing 64mph. Back home in Seattle, mostly heavy traffic and I am averaging about 17-18mpg.
  • b9driverb9driver Member Posts: 118
    Drove 260 miles to and from NJ today, hit some traffic and drove 80 MPH most of the time with some sprints above 100 MPH. 21.6 MPG.
    I'm very pleased with the economy, which is really pretty good when I drive at more human speeds.
    And of course the drive was about 200 times nicer than in my Outback, or the new Forester. The B9 is a true road car, quietly swallowing the miles.

    Robert B
    Blue B9 5 Pass.
    NY
  • mdxbellemdxbelle Member Posts: 6
    I too had the same conundrum and after deciding to buy the MDX realized one more "advantage". For some reason I no longer had tailgaters and other vehicles trying to "intimidate" me out of my lane. My old Forester somehow always elicited that treatment and the Acura nameplate seems to have taken care of that nowadays.
  • c_hunterc_hunter Member Posts: 4,487
    I think it's in your head. I encounter the same kinds of bozos on the road when driving any of the Subarus, Acuras, or Hondas we have owned. In fact, I doubt the worst offenders even take notice of what other make/model cars are on the road.

    Craig
  • mdxbellemdxbelle Member Posts: 6
    The worst ones maybe, but I've seen a definite drop in these incidents post MDX and this is a relief for me. It may also be the added heft of the Acura MDX when viewed from behind in addition to the nameplate. I wonder what is the experience of the B9 owners so that I could have a what if? moment.
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